Formal and Informal Assessment of Student Learning
Name: Jessica Wong
I. Assignment Description/Requirements
See Project Page for assignment details.
II. Preparation / Development
1. Reflect on your current assessment practices. How have you been determining what students understand and what they are able to do?
To determine student understanding and ability, I have been using formal and informal assessments. Throughout the unit, I have been using informal assessments, such as homework worksheets, in-class activities, and questions in the form of class participation to see what my students are able to do with information that they are currently learning. To identify what students have learned throughout the course of the unit, I use formal assessments, such as laboratory reports and tests. Based on their conclusions of their lab findings, I am able to see what application of knowledge as well as analytical skills students have.
2. Describe the concept(s) that you are trying to assess in these assignments. Include a link to the appropriate GSE(s) on RIScienceTeachers. Be sure to include in your description your definition, examples of what it is, why students have difficulty with this concept, and why it is important that you teach this topic
The first concept, Periodic Law, encompasses what the periodic table is and how it is organized, who Mendeleev is, the elements of the periodic table, and characteristics of those elements, more specifically, metals, metalloids, and nonmetals. This concept could be difficult for students to learn because the “staircase” is the division line of metals and nonmetals, and some students may switch up which side is which. That could also come from not knowing how to read the periodic table, such as which is the period and which is the family. It is important for students to learn this because it allows for them to better understand how the chemical reactions occur in nature as well as their bodies, and why certain elements are critical to living a healthy life.
The second concept, mixtures and solutions, ties in the elements that students learned first, but goes in depth on the classification scale of whether materials are elements, compounds, mixtures or solutions. Students may be confused with a mixture, thinking it is only in solid form and with a solution, thinking that has to be liquid. It is important to teach this topic as well to prepare students for chemical bonding and reactions, and understanding how they form in our bodies as well as the environment around us.
3. (and 7) Describe an informal assessment that you selected, modified, or designed to address this concept. Summarize the instructions you gave your students and Include a link to the informal assessment here as well.
The informal assessment that I have designed is a lab practical set up where students are to identify if the substance is a homogeneous mixture, heterogeneous mixture, or a solution, and then explain how they know. Students were split into pairs and rotated around the room to different stations. Before students started to move, they were to answer the 2 pre-lab questions that are meant to help them define and identify those 3 types of mixtures/solutions. Students were told they had 2 minutes at each station to identify what the substance was and write down an explanation.
4. (and 8) Create a formal assessment. Describe this assessment, including concepts, types of items, and how it was assessed. Include a link to a copy of the assessment here as well.
The formal assessment is a test of students’ knowledge on periodic law, including what the periodic table is and how it’s set up, who developed the table, elements of the table, and characteristics of metals and nonmetals. The test is set up with 7 multiple choice, 13 matching, an identification section, 12 fill-ins, and 5 short answers/definitions. Students are assessed based on correctness of answers/choices/responses.
6. Develop the evaluation criteria (or key) for your informal assessment or link it here. This description should include the assessment's features, how it addresses different depths of knowledge, as well as an explanation of how it addresses a scientific practice related to inquiry.
The checklist for the informal assessment is looking for students to be able to define and differentiate between key terms, explain their reasoning, completion of activity, and class participation in activity during class. The depths of knowledge addressed are Levels 1 to 3, with basic recall, demonstration of skills, and strategic thinking. This can be seen in checklist. The scientific practice related to inquiry that is addressed in this assessment is for students to be able to communicate their findings to their peers and the teacher. This is done through students working in pairs and explaining to one other their reasoning for identifying an example as a mixture or solution, as well as giving me (the teacher) the explanation of their choices.
9. For your informal assessment, upload scans of the work of three or four students. The work of each student should be on a different page. At the bottom of each students' page, you should describe the level of student understanding, e.g. high, average, or low, and describe how this is indicated in their answers. An example of how to do this is here. Note: Remember to name the pages you create carefully, e.g. "Smith S10 - High Performing" instead of "High-Performing."
10. For you formal assessment, describe how you think it addressed the concepts you were trying to assess? How did you modify the assessment to address learning differences or special needs?
The formal assessment covered a little of each concept and allowed students to showcase what they know about Mendeleev and the periodic table, how the periodic table is set up, and characteristics of metals and nonmetals, along with defining those characteristics. To address learning differences, students were given different formats of objective questions as well as the word bank for the fill-in sections. Students with resource help had review sessions with the resource teachers prior to the test and given a chance to retake if they had failed the test.
III. Analysis / Reflection
11. Use both the informal and formal assessments to describe what you learned about what your students understand about these concepts. Use specific examples from both the informal and formal assessment to illustrate your points. What can your students do now that they could not before, and what do they still need to learn?
From the formal assessment of the periodic law quiz, I learned that students still had a weak understanding of terminology, such as malleable and ductile. Some of the students did show that they know what the word meant based on their examples of those two terms, but could not write down a proper definition. Some students also do not read all the directions given to them so I should keep in mind that I may need to walk through the quiz first and read the directions to them and let them read them again as they take the quiz. For example, with the element symbol sections, students are told to check off symbols that do not match their names, and were also given an example of it before the quiz, but some students were still confused with what to do.
With the informal assessment, I learned that students were still fuzzy with the differences between heterogeneous and homogeneous mixtures, and mixtures and solutions. I was able to review and go over these the next class since I had seen the level of understanding from the activity and cleared up some misconceptions, such as homogeneous mixtures are not the same as solutions, but solutions are mixtures.
After these assessments, I have discovered that my students have a good understanding of elements and how the periodic table is organized. My students still need to learn more about the differences between elements and compounds, as well as mixtures and solutions.
12. OMIT
13. For your formal assessment only, select one student characteristic, e.g. ability, gender, age, etc) and compare the relative performance of each group. Hint: Use box and whiskers plots to compare the two groups. What do you conclude from this comparison? Why?
With the class that I have chosen, I am using gender as a comparison factor. This class has 6 girls and 10 boys. The class average overall is an 88% correct, with a high of 100% and a low of 69%. The median is 89%.
Looking at the girls, the average is 86% with a median of 86.5%. The boys' average is a little higher at 89.4% with a median of 90.5%. Since there are less grades with the girls, the outlier of 69% affects the average a lot more than the boys outlier of 77%. Overall, the grades are similar enough to the class average that the difference in number of boys/girls has little effect. However, if I am to draw conclusions from this comparison, I can see that the boys have a stronger understanding of the concept and were better able to articulate that knowledge. This might be because the boys in this particular class are of stronger ability that some of the girls, and were better able to retain the information taught to them.
14. Describe any ways in which you involved students in self-assessment. How did you communicate what you learned from your informal and formal assessments to your students? What did they do with this information?
I was able to involve students in self-assessments when we went over the informal mixture/solution activity. While I went over the answers, I had students assess how well they did since I did not pick apart every answer of theirs and had discussed some of them while letting the students decide whether or not their reasoning was correct or incorrect. When I went over the periodic law quiz, I was able to share with students parts of the quiz that they did really well with as well as sections that were weak. I had asked my students why they did better on certain parts then others to see if they could reflect on their own learning. I hope they use the information to help themselves better understand what kind of student they are and how they could improve on future assessments.
15: Most Important: Compare your objectives for student learning (both in terms of science concepts and practices) to the student learning you observed. What did you learn about your teaching based on the student performances? What will you do differently next time? Why would you make these changes? What, if anything, will you do to improve the assessment instruments?
Overall, I think my objectives matched pretty well with student learning in the formal and informal assessments. Students are learning the science concepts that I am teaching and it is evident in the assessments, and they have been able to demonstrate the science practices in lab situations. This has been a positive reinforcement on my teaching abilities, but I do notice some things that I could do differently that would be beneficial to my students. Before the quiz, I could have reviewed a little more and gone over the review sheet that I had the students complete as a study aide. If I had reviewed some of the definitions a little more, I think it could have helped some of the students who scored below average, but for the most part, students passed the quiz with an average of about 88%. With the informal assessment, I would make sure that I thoroughly explain the directions and how students need to explain their reasoning for choosing heterogeneous or homogeneous mixture, or solution. This might help students better understand what the task is and help reinforce the concept as well as practice their reasoning skills. I think both assessments are good indicators of student learning of science concepts and practices.
Formal and Informal Assessment of Student Learning
Name: Jessica Wong
I. Assignment Description/Requirements
II. Preparation / Development
1. Reflect on your current assessment practices. How have you been determining what students understand and what they are able to do?
To determine student understanding and ability, I have been using formal and informal assessments. Throughout the unit, I have been using informal assessments, such as homework worksheets, in-class activities, and questions in the form of class participation to see what my students are able to do with information that they are currently learning. To identify what students have learned throughout the course of the unit, I use formal assessments, such as laboratory reports and tests. Based on their conclusions of their lab findings, I am able to see what application of knowledge as well as analytical skills students have.
2. Describe the concept(s) that you are trying to assess in these assignments. Include a link to the appropriate GSE(s) on RIScienceTeachers. Be sure to include in your description your definition, examples of what it is, why students have difficulty with this concept, and why it is important that you teach this topic
Assessment Concepts: Periodic Law, Mixtures and Solutions (https://riscienceteachers.wikispaces.com/PS1+%287-8%29+-+2)
The first concept, Periodic Law, encompasses what the periodic table is and how it is organized, who Mendeleev is, the elements of the periodic table, and characteristics of those elements, more specifically, metals, metalloids, and nonmetals. This concept could be difficult for students to learn because the “staircase” is the division line of metals and nonmetals, and some students may switch up which side is which. That could also come from not knowing how to read the periodic table, such as which is the period and which is the family. It is important for students to learn this because it allows for them to better understand how the chemical reactions occur in nature as well as their bodies, and why certain elements are critical to living a healthy life.
The second concept, mixtures and solutions, ties in the elements that students learned first, but goes in depth on the classification scale of whether materials are elements, compounds, mixtures or solutions. Students may be confused with a mixture, thinking it is only in solid form and with a solution, thinking that has to be liquid. It is important to teach this topic as well to prepare students for chemical bonding and reactions, and understanding how they form in our bodies as well as the environment around us.
3. (and 7) Describe an informal assessment that you selected, modified, or designed to address this concept. Summarize the instructions you gave your students and Include a link to the informal assessment here as well.
The informal assessment that I have designed is a lab practical set up where students are to identify if the substance is a homogeneous mixture, heterogeneous mixture, or a solution, and then explain how they know. Students were split into pairs and rotated around the room to different stations. Before students started to move, they were to answer the 2 pre-lab questions that are meant to help them define and identify those 3 types of mixtures/solutions. Students were told they had 2 minutes at each station to identify what the substance was and write down an explanation.
4. (and 8) Create a formal assessment. Describe this assessment, including concepts, types of items, and how it was assessed. Include a link to a copy of the assessment here as well.
The formal assessment is a test of students’ knowledge on periodic law, including what the periodic table is and how it’s set up, who developed the table, elements of the table, and characteristics of metals and nonmetals. The test is set up with 7 multiple choice, 13 matching, an identification section, 12 fill-ins, and 5 short answers/definitions. Students are assessed based on correctness of answers/choices/responses.
5. Develop the evaluation criteria (or key) for your formal assessment or link it here.
The formal assessment was evaluated based on the answer key below:
6. Develop the evaluation criteria (or key) for your informal assessment or link it here. This description should include the assessment's features, how it addresses different depths of knowledge, as well as an explanation of how it addresses a scientific practice related to inquiry.
The checklist for the informal assessment is looking for students to be able to define and differentiate between key terms, explain their reasoning, completion of activity, and class participation in activity during class. The depths of knowledge addressed are Levels 1 to 3, with basic recall, demonstration of skills, and strategic thinking. This can be seen in checklist.
The scientific practice related to inquiry that is addressed in this assessment is for students to be able to communicate their findings to their peers and the teacher. This is done through students working in pairs and explaining to one other their reasoning for identifying an example as a mixture or solution, as well as giving me (the teacher) the explanation of their choices.
7. & 8. - Already addressed above.
9. For your informal assessment, upload scans of the work of three or four students. The work of each student should be on a different page. At the bottom of each students' page, you should describe the level of student understanding, e.g. high, average, or low, and describe how this is indicated in their answers. An example of how to do this is here. Note: Remember to name the pages you create carefully, e.g. "Smith S10 - High Performing" instead of "High-Performing."
Wong S11- High Performing
Wong S11 - Middle Performing
Wong S11 - Low Performing
10. For you formal assessment, describe how you think it addressed the concepts you were trying to assess? How did you modify the assessment to address learning differences or special needs?
The formal assessment covered a little of each concept and allowed students to showcase what they know about Mendeleev and the periodic table, how the periodic table is set up, and characteristics of metals and nonmetals, along with defining those characteristics. To address learning differences, students were given different formats of objective questions as well as the word bank for the fill-in sections. Students with resource help had review sessions with the resource teachers prior to the test and given a chance to retake if they had failed the test.
III. Analysis / Reflection
11. Use both the informal and formal assessments to describe what you learned about what your students understand about these concepts. Use specific examples from both the informal and formal assessment to illustrate your points. What can your students do now that they could not before, and what do they still need to learn?
From the formal assessment of the periodic law quiz, I learned that students still had a weak understanding of terminology, such as malleable and ductile. Some of the students did show that they know what the word meant based on their examples of those two terms, but could not write down a proper definition. Some students also do not read all the directions given to them so I should keep in mind that I may need to walk through the quiz first and read the directions to them and let them read them again as they take the quiz. For example, with the element symbol sections, students are told to check off symbols that do not match their names, and were also given an example of it before the quiz, but some students were still confused with what to do.
With the informal assessment, I learned that students were still fuzzy with the differences between heterogeneous and homogeneous mixtures, and mixtures and solutions. I was able to review and go over these the next class since I had seen the level of understanding from the activity and cleared up some misconceptions, such as homogeneous mixtures are not the same as solutions, but solutions are mixtures.
After these assessments, I have discovered that my students have a good understanding of elements and how the periodic table is organized. My students still need to learn more about the differences between elements and compounds, as well as mixtures and solutions.
12. OMIT
13. For your formal assessment only, select one student characteristic, e.g. ability, gender, age, etc) and compare the relative performance of each group. Hint: Use box and whiskers plots to compare the two groups. What do you conclude from this comparison? Why?
With the class that I have chosen, I am using gender as a comparison factor. This class has 6 girls and 10 boys. The class average overall is an 88% correct, with a high of 100% and a low of 69%. The median is 89%.
Looking at the girls, the average is 86% with a median of 86.5%. The boys' average is a little higher at 89.4% with a median of 90.5%. Since there are less grades with the girls, the outlier of 69% affects the average a lot more than the boys outlier of 77%. Overall, the grades are similar enough to the class average that the difference in number of boys/girls has little effect. However, if I am to draw conclusions from this comparison, I can see that the boys have a stronger understanding of the concept and were better able to articulate that knowledge. This might be because the boys in this particular class are of stronger ability that some of the girls, and were better able to retain the information taught to them.
14. Describe any ways in which you involved students in self-assessment. How did you communicate what you learned from your informal and formal assessments to your students? What did they do with this information?
I was able to involve students in self-assessments when we went over the informal mixture/solution activity. While I went over the answers, I had students assess how well they did since I did not pick apart every answer of theirs and had discussed some of them while letting the students decide whether or not their reasoning was correct or incorrect. When I went over the periodic law quiz, I was able to share with students parts of the quiz that they did really well with as well as sections that were weak. I had asked my students why they did better on certain parts then others to see if they could reflect on their own learning. I hope they use the information to help themselves better understand what kind of student they are and how they could improve on future assessments.
15: Most Important: Compare your objectives for student learning (both in terms of science concepts and practices) to the student learning you observed. What did you learn about your teaching based on the student performances? What will you do differently next time? Why would you make these changes? What, if anything, will you do to improve the assessment instruments?
Overall, I think my objectives matched pretty well with student learning in the formal and informal assessments. Students are learning the science concepts that I am teaching and it is evident in the assessments, and they have been able to demonstrate the science practices in lab situations. This has been a positive reinforcement on my teaching abilities, but I do notice some things that I could do differently that would be beneficial to my students. Before the quiz, I could have reviewed a little more and gone over the review sheet that I had the students complete as a study aide. If I had reviewed some of the definitions a little more, I think it could have helped some of the students who scored below average, but for the most part, students passed the quiz with an average of about 88%. With the informal assessment, I would make sure that I thoroughly explain the directions and how students need to explain their reasoning for choosing heterogeneous or homogeneous mixture, or solution. This might help students better understand what the task is and help reinforce the concept as well as practice their reasoning skills. I think both assessments are good indicators of student learning of science concepts and practices.